scholarly journals Field efficacy of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) for managing soil arthropods and Cercospora leaf spots damage for increased yield in peanut

2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Abudulai ◽  
A.B. Salifu ◽  
D. Opare-Atakora ◽  
M. Haruna ◽  
I.I.Y. Baba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Azadirachta Indica ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Untreated Control ◽  
Water Extract ◽  
Soil Arthropods ◽  
Pod Yield ◽  
Soil Drench ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Field Efficacy ◽  
Neem Products

Field efficacy of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) for managing soil arthropods and Cercospora leaf spots damage to peanut was studied in Ghana from 2008 to 2010. Treatments consisted of neem kernel water extract (NKWE) and neem kernel powder (NKP) applied separately as soil drench at the rates of 10.5 and 21.0 kg/ha at either planting or pegging. Untreated control and chlorpyrifos treatment at pegging were included as checks. Results showed generally that the neem products at the concentrations tested were efficacious and comparable to chlorpyrifos in lowering populations of soil arthropods and severity of leaf spot diseases, leaf defoliation, and scarified and bored pod damage, resulting in increased pod yield in 2008 and 2009.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Cultivar Response to Leaf Spot Disease Development Under Four Disease Management Programs1

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Grichar ◽  
B. A. Besler ◽  
A. J. Jaks
Keyword(s):  
Arachis Hypogaea ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Leaf Spot Disease ◽  
Cercospora Arachidicola ◽  
Spot Disease ◽  
Pod Yield ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Arachis Hypogaea L ◽  
Yield Difference ◽  
Disease Pressure

Abstract Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) pod yield and response to early and late leaf spots [caused by Cercospora arachidicola S. Hori and Cercosporidium personatum (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Deighton, respectively] were evaluated on six runner-type cultivars under four leaf spot spray programs using tebuconazole at 0.23 kg ai/ha and chlorothalonil at 1.26 kg ai/ha. The four leaf spot spray programs included unsprayed, 14-d schedule, 21-d schedule, and 28-d schedule. With the 14- and 21-d schedule, chlorothalonil was applied at the first and last applications with a maximum of four tebuconazole applications for the middle sprays. On the 28-d schedule, tebuconazole was applied four times. Under conditions of heavy leaf spot disease pressure where no fungicide was applied, Southern Runner and Georgia Browne were slightly less susceptible (although not significantly) to early or late leaf spot than Florunner, GK-7, Georgia Runner, or Sunrunner. Less leaf spot was present in the 14-d schedule compared to 21- or 28-d schedules. Although there was no yield difference between the 14-, 21-, or 28-d schedules, the plots sprayed on a 14-d schedule yielded 43% more than the unsprayed. When averaged across all spray schedules, Georgia Browne yielded 15% more peanuts than Georgia Runner.

scholarly journals Molecular Phylogenetic Diversity and Biological Characterization of Diaporthe Species Associated with Leaf Spots of Camellia sinensis in Taiwan

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1434
Author(s):  
Hiran A. Ariyawansa ◽  
Ichen Tsai ◽  
Jian-Yuan Wang ◽  
Patchareeya Withee ◽  
Medsaii Tanjira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Camellia Sinensis ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Tea Leaves ◽  
Phenotypic Characters ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic

Camellia sinensis is one of the major crops grown in Taiwan and has been widely cultivated around the island. Tea leaves are prone to various fungal infections, and leaf spot is considered one of the major diseases in Taiwan tea fields. As part of a survey on fungal species causing leaf spots on tea leaves in Taiwan, 19 fungal strains morphologically similar to the genus Diaporthe were collected. ITS (internal transcribed spacer), tef1-α (translation elongation factor 1-α), tub2 (beta-tubulin), and cal (calmodulin) gene regions were used to construct phylogenetic trees and determine the evolutionary relationships among the collected strains. In total, six Diaporthe species, including one new species, Diaporthe hsinchuensis, were identified as linked with leaf spot of C. sinensis in Taiwan based on both phenotypic characters and phylogeny. These species were further characterized in terms of their pathogenicity, temperature, and pH requirements under laboratory conditions. Diaporthe tulliensis, D. passiflorae, and D. perseae were isolated from C. sinensis for the first time. Furthermore, pathogenicity tests revealed that, with wound inoculation, only D. hongkongensis was pathogenic on tea leaves. This investigation delivers the first assessment of Diaporthe taxa related to leaf spots on tea in Taiwan.

scholarly journals Photosynthesis of Blueberry Leaves as Affected by Septoria Leaf Spot and Abiotic Leaf Damage

Plant Disease ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Roloff ◽  
H. Scherm ◽  
M. W. van Iersel
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Lesion Size ◽  
Leaf Conductance ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Virtual Lesion ◽  
Septoria Leaf Spot

Leaf spots caused by fungal pathogens or abiotic factors can be prevalent on southern blueberries after harvest during the summer and fall, yet little is known about how they affect physiological processes that determine yield potential for the following year. In this study, we measured CO2 assimilation and leaf conductance on field-grown blueberry plants affected by Septoria leaf spot (caused by Septoria albopunctata) or by edema-like abiotic leaf blotching. Net assimilation rate (NAR) on healthy leaves varied between 6.9 and 12.4 μmol m-2 s-1 across cultivars and measurement dates. Infection by S. albopunctata had a significant negative effect on photosynthesis, with NAR decreasing exponentially as disease severity increased (R2 ≥0.726, P < 0.0001). NAR was reduced by approximately one-half at 20% disease severity, and values approached zero for leaves with >50% necrotic leaf area. There was a positive, linear correlation between NAR and leaf conductance (R2 ≥ 0.622, P < 0.0001), suggesting that the disease may have reduced photosynthesis via decreased CO2 diffusion into affected leaves. Estimates of virtual lesion size associated with infection by S. albopunctata ranged from 2.8 to 3.1, indicating that the leaf area in which photosynthesis was impaired was about three times as large as the area covered by necrosis. For leaves afflicted by edema-like damage, there also was a significant negative relationship between NAR and affected leaf area, but the scatter about the regression was more pronounced than in the NAR-disease severity relationships for S. albopunctata (R2 = 0.548, P < 0.0001). No significant correlation was observed between leaf conductance and affected area on these leaves (P = 0.145), and the virtual lesion size associated with abiotic damage was significantly smaller than that caused by S. albopunctata. Adequate carbohydrate supply during the fall is critical for optimal flower bud set in blueberry; therefore, these results document the potential for marked yield losses due to biotic and abiotic leaf spots.

Cochliobolus pallescens. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sivanesan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Ear Rot ◽  
Black Point ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Windward Islands

Abstract A description is provided for Cochliobolus pallescens. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Common on many graminicolous and non-graminicolous hosts. Important cereals and grasses include Eleusine, Hordeum, Oryza, Panicum, Paspalum, Pennisetum, Poa, Saccharum, Setaria, Sorghum, Triticum and Zea economically important dicot hosts include Allium (59, 4867), Arachis (53, 1647), Brassica (66, 3075), Canna, Calendula, Calotropis (44, 1832; 66, 3587), Carica (61, 5129), Cinnamomum, Citrus (68, 843), Coriandrum, Dahlia, Fagopyrum (64, 2425), Gaillardia, Hevea (56, 1257; 67, 5560), Musa (54, 4051), Solanum (50, 3484). DISEASE: Leaf spots of cereals, black point of wheat (44, 102), leaf spot and on stems of rubber (56, 1257; 67, 5560), ear rot of barley (62, 1005), rot of garlic (59, 4867). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Guinea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad, USA, USSR, Venezuela, Windward Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe. TRANSMISSION: By wind-borne conidia and seed-borne.

Pestalotiopsis mangiferae. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

1980 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. M. Mordue
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Mangifera Indica ◽  
Brown Spot ◽  
Leaf Spots

Abstract A description is provided for Pestalotiopsis mangiferae. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: On Mangifera indica; also on Anacardium occidentale, Combretum decandrum, Eucalyptus spp., Mimusops spp., Vitis vinifera and many other unrelated host plants. DISEASE: Grey leaf spot of Mangifera indica. The spots vary in size from a few mm to several cm in length, are usually sharply delimited by a dark, raised border, and are silvery grey above and grey to brown below; leaf spots on other hosts are similar. Brown spot or rot of mango fruits is also known. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia; Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Sabah, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka; Australia; Dominican Republic; Venezuela. TRANSMISSION: Inoculation studies with conidia and mycelium have shown P. mangiferae to be a weak parasite, capable of infecting young injured leaves, injured fruits, older uninjured leaves and healthy fruits if in contact with diseased tissue (35, 378; 40, 421). It has been isolated from soil, but the possibility of transmission through soil has not been investigated.

Interactive Effects of Fungicide, Application Timing, and Spray Volume on Peanut Diseases and Yield

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Joao Augusto ◽  
Timothy B. Brenneman
Keyword(s):  
Arachis Hypogaea ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Stem Rot ◽  
Soilborne Pathogens ◽  
Application Timing ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
Late Season ◽  
Pod Yield ◽  
Spray Volume

Fungicide penetration of the peanut (Arachis hypogaea) canopy to target soilborne pathogens is difficult due to the dense foliage present when mid- to late-season applications are made. To assess the effect of application timing and volume on leaf spot and stem rot control as well as peanut yield, pyraclostrobin (0.21 kg a.i./ha) or chlorothalonil (1.26 kg a.i./ha), a systemic and a contact fungicide, respectively, were applied four times on cv. Georgia Green during the day (on unfolded leaves) or at night (on folded leaves) at 187, 243, or 355 liters/ha. Night application of pyraclostrobin, across spray volumes, gave the best stem rot control and pod yield increase. Pyraclostrobin applied during the day at higher spray volumes also slightly increased control of stem rot, apparently by improving canopy penetration. Neither application timing nor spray volume affected leaf spot control with pyraclostrobin. Higher spray volumes for the chlorothalonil applications tended to improve control of early and late leaf spot, possibly by increasing coverage of foliage and stems. Accepted for publication 10 January 2012. Published 20 April 2012.

scholarly journals Thlaspi arvense, a New Host for Alternaria brassicicola

Plant Disease ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 960-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Cobb ◽  
H. R. Dillard
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Alternaria Brassicicola ◽  
New Host ◽  
Cornell University ◽  
Thlaspi Arvense ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Plastic Bags ◽  
Field Pennycress

A leaf spot was observed on cruciferous weeds growing in a cabbage field located in Geneva, NY, on 1 August 1996. The leaf spots on the weeds were dark gray to black in color and varied in size from pinpoints to 1 mm in diameter. The cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.) was infected with Alternaria brassicicola (Schwein.) Wiltshire, the cause of Alternaria leaf spot. The weeds were identified as Thlaspi arvense L., a winter annual commonly referred to as field pennycress, stinkweed, or fanweed depending on geographic location. Isolations from the diseased weed tissue yielded A. brassicicola (2). The numerous conidia occurred in chains of 10 or more, ranged in size from 14 to 53 μm in length, were 5 to 18 μm wide, contained from 1 to 6 transverse septa with rare longitudinal septa, and were olivaceous in color. An apical beak was absent. On potato dextrose agar (PDA) the colony was dark olive-green to black in color and velvety. Seed was collected from the T. arvense plannts in the spring of 1997. One hundred seeds were placed in petri plates containing PDA amended with 0.01% of chloramphenicol and streptomycin sulfate. A. brassicicola was not isolated from the seeds. A different area of the field was planted to cabbage in 1997 and the cruciferous weeds were allowed to grow. The 1997 population of T. arvense consisted of plants from the previous season that flowered early and plants from seeds that germinated late in the season but did not flower. A. brassicicola was isolated from nonflowering weeds in September and from flowering weeds in October. Nonflowering plants were removed from the field in November, planted in pots, and placed in the greenhouse to induce flowering. Identity of both plant populations was confirmed as T. arvense (Warren Lamboy, Cornell University, Geneva, NY). Pathogencity of A. brassicicola isolates from T. arvense was demonstrated on cabbage and T. arvense by following Koch's postulates. Conidia (105) from a 5-day-old culture isolated from T. arvense grown on PDA were atomized onto field pennycress and cabbage plants with a Preval sprayer. The plants were enclosed in plastic bags and put under lathe shading in the greenhouse. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic tissue of both plants after 5 days. This weed could serve as a potential source of A. brassicicola inoculum because it is not controlled by herbicides used in crucifer production systems. Alternaria raphani has been reported on T. arvense in Canada (1). This is believed to be the first report of A. brassicicola on T. arvense. References: (1) K. Mortensen et al. Can. Plant Dis. Surv. 73:129, 1993. (2) P. Neergaard. 1945. Danish Species of Alternaria and Stemphylium. Oxford University Press, London. pp. 137–138.

scholarly journals First Report of Alternaria Leaf Spot of Banana Caused by Alternaria alternata in the United States

Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (8) ◽  
pp. 1116-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Parkunan ◽  
S. Li ◽  
E. G. Fonsah ◽  
P. Ji
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Alternaria Alternata ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Its Sequencing ◽  
Single Spore ◽  
First Report ◽  
Alternaria Leaf Spot ◽  
Leaf Spots

Research efforts were initiated in 2003 to identify and introduce banana (Musa spp.) cultivars suitable for production in Georgia (1). Selected cultivars have been evaluated since 2009 in Tifton Banana Garden, Tifton, GA, comprising of cold hardy, short cycle, and ornamental types. In spring and summer of 2012, 7 out of 13 cultivars (African Red, Blue Torres Island, Cacambou, Chinese Cavendish, Novaria, Raja Puri, and Veinte Cohol) showed tiny, oval (0.5 to 1.0 mm long and 0.3 to 0.9 mm wide), light to dark brown spots on the adaxial surface of the leaves. Spots were more concentrated along the midrib than the rest of the leaf and occurred on all except the newly emerged leaves. Leaf spots did not expand much in size, but the numbers approximately doubled during the season. Disease incidences on the seven cultivars ranged from 10 to 63% (10% on Blue Torres Island and 63% on Novaria), with an average of 35% when a total of 52 plants were evaluated. Six cultivars including Belle, Ice Cream, Dwarf Namwah, Kandarian, Praying Hands, and Saba did not show any spots. Tissue from infected leaves of the seven cultivars were surface sterilized with 0.5% NaOCl, plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) media and incubated at 25°C in the dark for 5 days. The plates were then incubated at room temperature (23 ± 2°C) under a 12-hour photoperiod for 3 days. Grayish black colonies developed from all the samples, which were further identified as Alternaria spp. based on the dark, brown, obclavate to obpyriform catenulate conidia with longitudinal and transverse septa tapering to a prominent beak attached in chains on a simple and short conidiophore (2). Conidia were 23 to 73 μm long and 15 to 35 μm wide, with a beak length of 5 to 10 μm, and had 3 to 6 transverse and 0 to 5 longitudinal septa. Single spore cultures of four isolates from four different cultivars were obtained and genomic DNA was extracted and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) regions of rDNA (562 bp) were amplified and sequenced with primers ITS1 and ITS4. MegaBLAST analysis of the four sequences showed that they were 100% identical to two Alternaria alternata isolates (GQ916545 and GQ169766). ITS sequence of a representative isolate VCT1FT1 from cv. Veinte Cohol was submitted to GenBank (JX985742). Pathogenicity assay was conducted using 1-month-old banana plants (cv. Veinte Cohol) grown in pots under greenhouse conditions (25 to 27°C). Three plants were spray inoculated with the isolate VCT1FT1 (100 ml suspension per plant containing 105 spores per ml) and incubated under 100% humidity for 2 days and then kept in the greenhouse. Three plants sprayed with water were used as a control. Leaf spots identical to those observed in the field were developed in a week on the inoculated plants but not on the non-inoculated control. The fungus was reisolated from the inoculated plants and the identity was confirmed by morphological characteristics and ITS sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Alternaria leaf spot caused by A. alternata on banana in the United States. Occurrence of the disease on some banana cultivars in Georgia provides useful information to potential producers, and the cultivars that were observed to be resistant to the disease may be more suitable for production. References: (1) E. G. Fonsah et al. J. Food Distrib. Res. 37:2, 2006. (2) E. G. Simmons. Alternaria: An identification manual. CBS Fungal Biodiversity Center, Utrecht, Netherlands, 2007.

scholarly journals First Report of Leaf Spot of Sweet Basil Caused by Cercospora guatemalensis in Korea

Plant Disease ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 96 (10) ◽  
pp. 1580-1580
Author(s):  
J. H. Park ◽  
K. S. Han ◽  
J. Y. Kim ◽  
H. D. Shin
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Its Region ◽  
Culture Collection ◽  
Distilled Water ◽  
First Report ◽  
Sweet Basil ◽  
Organic Farm ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Close Phylogenetic Relationship

Sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum L., is a fragrant herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae. Originated in India 5,000 years ago, sweet basil plays a significant role in diverse cuisines across the world, especially in Asian and Italian cooking. In October 2008, hundreds of plants showing symptoms of leaf spot with nearly 100% incidence were found in polyethylene tunnels at an organic farm in Icheon, Korea. Leaf spots were circular to subcircular, water-soaked, dark brown with grayish center, and reached 10 mm or more in diameter. Diseased leaves defoliated prematurely. The damage purportedly due to this disease has reappeared every year with confirmation of the causal agent made again in 2011. A cercosporoid fungus was consistently associated with disease symptoms. Stromata were brown, consisting of brown cells, and 10 to 40 μm in width. Conidiophores were fasciculate (n = 2 to 10), olivaceous brown, paler upwards, straight to mildly curved, not geniculate in shorter ones or one to two times geniculate in longer ones, 40 to 200 μm long, occasionally reaching up to 350 μm long, 3.5 to 6 μm wide, and two- to six-septate. Conidia were hyaline, acicular to cylindric, straight in shorter ones, flexuous to curved in longer ones, truncate to obconically truncate at the base, three- to 16-septate, and 50 to 300 × 3.5 to 4.5 μm. Morphological characteristics of the fungus were consistent with the previous reports of Cercospora guatemalensis A.S. Mull. & Chupp (1,3). Voucher specimens were housed at Korea University herbarium (KUS). An isolate from KUS-F23757 was deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (Accession No. KACC43980). Fungal DNA was extracted with DNeasy Plant Mini DNA Extraction Kits (Qiagen Inc., Valencia, CA). The complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced. The resulting sequence of 548 bp was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. JQ995781). This showed >99% similarity with sequences of many Cercospora species, indicating their close phylogenetic relationship. Isolate of KACC43980 was used in the pathogenicity tests. Hyphal suspensions were prepared by grinding 3-week-old colonies grown on PDA with distilled water using a mortar and pestle. Five plants were inoculated with hyphal suspensions and five plants were sprayed with sterile distilled water. The plants were covered with plastic bags to maintain a relative humidity of 100% for 24 h and then transferred to a 25 ± 2°C greenhouse with a 12-h photoperiod. Typical symptoms of necrotic spots appeared on the inoculated leaves 6 days after inoculation, and were identical to the ones observed in the field. C. guatemalensis was reisolated from symptomatic leaf tissues, confirming Koch's postulates. No symptoms were observed on control plants. Previously, the disease was reported in Malawi, India, China, and Japan (2,3), but not in Korea. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. guatemalensis on sweet basil in Korea. Since farming of sweet basil has recently started on a commercial scale in Korea, the disease poses a serious threat to safe production of this herb, especially in organic farming. References: (1) C. Chupp. A Monograph of the Fungus Genus Cercospora. Ithaca, NY, 1953. (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases. Systematic Mycology & Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ , May 5, 2012. (3) J. Nishikawa et al. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 68:46, 2002.

scholarly journals First Report of a Leaf Spot Disease of Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) Caused by Cercospora apii in California

Plant Disease ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-203
Author(s):  
S. T. Koike ◽  
S. A. Tjosvold ◽  
J. Z. Groenewald ◽  
P. W. Crous
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Leaf Spot Disease ◽  
Conidial Suspension ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacer Region ◽  
First Report ◽  
Spot Disease ◽  
Leaf Spots ◽  
Initial Symptoms

Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) (Lamiaceae) is an annual plant that is field planted in coastal California (Santa Cruz County) for commercial cutflower production. In 2001, a new leaf spot disease was found in these commercially grown cutflowers. The disease was most serious in the winter-grown crops in 2001 and 2002, with a few plantings having as much as 100% disease incidence. All other plantings that were surveyed during this time had at least 50% disease. Initial symptoms consisted of gray-green leaf spots. Spots were generally oval in shape, often delimited by the major leaf veins, and later turned tan. Lesions were apparent on both adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaves. A cercosporoid fungus having fasciculate conidiophores, which formed primarily on the abaxial leaf surface, was consistently associated with the spots. Based on morphology and its host, this fungus was initially considered to be Cercospora molucellae Bremer & Petr., which was previously reported on leaves of M. laevis in Turkey (1). However, sequence data obtained from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, ITS2) and the 5.8S gene (STE-U 5110, 5111; GenBank Accession Nos. AY156918 and AY156919) indicated there were no base pair differences between the bells-of-Ireland isolates from California, our own reference isolates of C. apii, as well as GenBank sequences deposited as C. apii. Based on these data, the fungus was subsequently identified as C. apii sensu lato. Pathogenicity was confirmed by spraying a conidial suspension (1.0 × 105 conidia/ml) on leaves of potted bells-of-Ireland plants, incubating the plants in a dew chamber for 24 h, and maintaining them in a greenhouse (23 to 25°C). After 2 weeks, all inoculated plants developed leaf spots that were identical to those observed in the field. C. apii was again associated with all leaf spots. Control plants, which were treated with water, did not develop any symptoms. The test was repeated and the results were similar. To our knowledge this is the first report of C. apii as a pathogen of bells-of-Ireland in California. Reference: (1) C. Chupp. A Monograph of the Fungus Genus Cercospora. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 1954.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document